Anne Hathaway joins Tom Cruise for ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel, set for summer 2028

Tom Cruise is heading back to the track. The actor confirmed Saturday that Anne Hathaway will co-star with him in a long-awaited sequel to his 1990 NASCAR drama “Days of Thunder,” with Paramount Pictures setting a release date of June 2, 2028.

Mr. Cruise shared the news with a promotional photo of himself and Ms. Hathaway posing in front of a race car at a NASCAR track, with the pair reprising the movie’s title card. The film will be shot for IMAX screens and released exclusively in theaters, including Dolby Cinema and 4DX formats. 

Mr. Cruise will reprise his role as driver Cole Trickle, while Ms. Hathaway is set to play a racecar team owner and engineer. Jonathan Levine, known for directing “Long Shot,” will direct from a script by Will Staples, who previously co-wrote “Without Remorse.” Mr. Cruise is producing alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.

In the original film, directed by the late Tony Scott, Trickle is recruited onto a NASCAR team by car dealer Tim Daland, played by Randy Quaid. The movie also starred Robert Duvall as crew chief Harry Hogge, along with Nicole Kidman and Michael Rooker.

The sequel arrives 38 years after the original and marks, as one report noted, Mr. Cruise’s first major legacy-sequel push since “Top Gun: Maverick.” Ms. Hathaway, for her part, has had a packed 2026 with releases including “The Devil Wears Prada 2,” “The Odyssey” and “The End of Oak Street.” The actress announced in June that she is expecting her third child.